The Chicago Blackhawks’ 2023-24 campaign is in the books. Overall, they finished 31th in the NHL, with a record of 23-53-6 for 52 points. Sadly, this was a new record for the most losses in franchise history. But just like last season, we all know it was a rebuilding year with lots of moving parts. The season was obviously much more about development and growth than it was about winning.
The team as a whole wasn’t very talented this year, and they also dealt with a multitude of injuries. But we can still evaluate the players by handing out individual grades. We’ll start today with the forwards. Brooke LoFurno and I put our heads together to evaluate each forward on their performance. We’ll have separate posts for the defensemen and the goaltenders.
*I’ve marked Brooke’s grades with an asterisk, and the rest are my marks. So, without further ado…
*(Per Brooke) Joey Anderson
5 goals, 12 assists, 17 points, plus-5 in 55 games played. Average time on ice (ATOI) of 13:33 minutes
47.5 Corsi For Percentage (CF%), 18 blocked shots, 48 hits, 30 takeaways, 20 giveaways, 8 penalty minutes
Cap Status: Restricted Free Agent, previous cap hit of $800,000
Anderson paired with Jason Dickinson made one of the most effective duos on the team at shutting down the opposition at five-on-five and on the penalty kill. Anderson proved he is an everyday NHL player and a solid depth player. He doesn’t score a lot (not his game), but his goals, assists, points and games played were all career high’s for the 25-year-old.
Anderson did what he was supposed to do, and his plus-5 led the Blackhawks in plus/minus stats. On a team with the second-worst goal differential in the league (minus-110), that’s pretty impressive. The Blackhawks will likely re-sign him this summer.
Anderson’s Final Grade: B+
(Per Gail) Andreas Athanasiou
2 goals, 7 assists, 9 points, minus-7 in 28 games played. ATOI of 13:06 minutes
40.5 CF%, 21 blocked shots, 11 hits, 19 takeaways, 7 giveaways, 7 penalty minutes
46.3 Faceoff Percentage (FO%)
Cap Status: Signed through the 2024-25 season, cap hit of $4.25 million
It’s tough to grade Athanasiou on this season, considering he missed 53 games with a right groin-and hip-related injury. He had a rough first 11 games, accumulating zero goals and just four assists, before he was sidelined in early November. We now know the 29-year-old wasn’t completely healthy, as he stepped on a puck or a stick in training camp and was trying to…
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